Chile celebrates after rescue of 33 mine workers

Chile is celebrating today after 33 miners have been rescued after they were trapped in gold-and-copper mine, 624 m (2,047 ft) below the ground for 69 days. You can imagine the happiness of the 33 workers, who were camping outside the trap site since 5th Aug 2010. The operation involved drilling a hole in the ground and lowering a rescue capsule and bringing each worker one by one to the ground. It is a great moment for Chile and Chileans feel that Chile is more united and stronger than ever.

The rescue operation was really amazing and one of its own kind. The capsule that brought the workers up was around 26 inch in diameter, big enough to hold one person only. It took each person to 20 min to ride up the hole in the capsule and whole operation took 22 hrs from the time capsule started bringing the workers. Before the workers were pulled up, they were equipped with

Oxygen mask

Two way voice communication

Pulse, skin temperature and respiration rate monitor that was strapped to their abdomen

Goggles to avoid exposure to light after been trapped in dark for so long

The workers were given special high calori liquid diet from NASA to keep them from vomiting as capsule rotates 10 – 12 times through the curves, while it was pulled up. The mine workers were taken to near by hospital by helicopter. It was reported that some have severe dental infections, and others have eye problems as a result of living in the dirt and darkness of the mine. One has been diagnosed with pneumonia but his condition is not thought to be serious.